Sample display device



J y 1957 H. GORMAN 2,797,815

SAMPLE DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Sept. 15, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 H 47 aa-H INVENTOR" Howard Gorntarc I BY 7 ATTORNEYS July 2, 1957 H. GORMAN I SAMPLE DISPLAY DEVICE;

, Filed Sept. 1574955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvENToK' mjwmd Gorlm.

Ca /ram, W

ATTORNEYS y 1957 H. GORMAN 2,797,815

SAMPLE DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Sept 15, 1955 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR W YM ATTORNEYS Howai'd Corn-care,

United. States Patent SAMPLE DISPLAY DEVICE Howard Gorman, Kankakee, Ill., assignor to General Foods Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application September 15, 1955, Serial No. 534,473

4 Claims. (Cl. 211--72) This invention relates to sample display devices and, more particularly, to such devices which are made up from pre-cut and formed blanks of suitable sheet material such as cardboard and the like. More particularly, still, this invention relates to such devices which may be shipped in flattened condition and readily assembled by the user.

Even more particularly, this invention relates to such display devices which, when assembled, receive and support :a carton containing goods to be displayed allowing the goods to discharge from an open end of the carton into the display device where prospective purchasers may see the goods and take samples of the same.

More particularly, still, this invention relates to such display devices particularly useful in retailing comestible items, such as crackers, cereals, biscuits, animal foods, dried foods and the like in which a carton containing the comestible is supported in the device for display and in which the comestible feeds from an open end of the carton into an open bin portion of the device where samples may be readily taken by prospective purchasers.

Heretofore, various display devices have been proposed for displaying goods to prospective customers. However, a display device formed from pre-cut blanks of sheet material in accordance with the present invention, which may be shipped flattened condition and readily assembled for use, has not heretofore been known or suggested.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a novel display device formed from blanks of sheet material which may be kept in flattened form and readily assembled for use.

Another object is to provide such a device which when assembled includes supports for a carton holding the article to be displayed and which includes a bin into which articles from the container are dispensed into view for sample taking by prospective purchasers.

Another object is to provide such a device which is cheap :and easy to manufacture and to assemble and which provides an eye-catching display for goods being advertised and sold.

Another object is to provide such a device in which the front, bottom, sides, and the carton supporting members are formed from a single sheet of material such'as cardboard and in which the back of the device may be formed from a second sheet of material such as cardboard.

Other and further objects of the present inventionwill appear from the following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof. I

The display device ofthe present-invention is capable ofvarious. mechanical embodiments one of which 'is shown in the accompanying drawings and is described hereinafter to illustrate the same. This illustrative em bodiment of the present invention should in no way be construed as defining or limiting the same and reference should be had to the appended claims to determine the scope of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts,

Patented July 2, 1957 Fig. 1 is a view of a blank of material such as cardboard cut and scored to form the front, sides, bottom and carton supporting members of an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view of a blank of material such as cardboard and cut and scored to form the back of the embodiment of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2 in partially assembled condition;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2 in assembled position;

Fig. 5 is a front view of the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2 in assembled position;

Fig. 6 is a view on a reduced scale of the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2 in assembled position showing the position of the container support members; and

Fig. 7 is a side view partly in section of the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2 showing a goods containing carton supported on the carton support members with the goods dispensed from the carton into the bin of the display device. 7

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the front, sides, bin bottom, and container support members are formed from a single blank of sheet material such as cardboard generally indicated at 1%. Blank 10 is provided with fold lines 11, 12, 13, and 14 defining the front 15 of the device. Fold line 14 separates front 15 from bottom tab 16. Fold line 12 separates front 15 from side piece 17. Side piece 17 has an upwardly extending side portion 18 and fold line 19 separates side 17 from bottom tab 20. Fold line 13 separates front 15 from side piece 21 which is provided with an upwardly extending, side portion 22. Fold line 23 separates side piece 21 from bottom tab 24.

Fold line 11 separates front 15' from bin front or connecting panel 25 which in turn is separated by fold line 26 from bin bottom or panel 27. Fold line 28 separates panel 27 from supporting tab 29 and fold line 30 separates panel 27 from supporting tab 31. Fold line 32 separates panel 27 from connecting panel 33. Panel 33 is separated by fold line 34 from carton support member 35 which is cut from panel 27 and support tab 29 along line 36 which forms a hook-shaped projection at 36'. Panel 33 is separated by fold line 37 from carton support member 3%. Container support member 38 is cut from panel 27 and from tab 31 along line 39 which forms a hook-shaped projection at 39. Supports 35 and 38 are provided with straight edges 40 and 40, respectively, to support the carton when the display device is assembled, .as will appear more fully hereinafter.

The back for the display device is shown in Fig. 2 and is generally indicated at 41. Back 41 is formed from a sheet of suitable material such as cardboard and is pro vided with parallel fold lines 42 and 43 to provide tabs 44 and 45, respectively, which may carry a suitable adhesive. Back 41-may also be provided with an upstanding extension' 46 to receive suitable advertising matter and is provided with spaced parallel slots 47 and 48 to receive hookshaped projections 36 and 39 of support numbers 35 and 38, respectively, when the device is assembled.

With'blanks of Figs. 1 and 2, scored and provided with foldlines, as describ ed, toassemble the device, tabs 16,

20, and 24 are folded inwardly along fold lines 1 4 ,1 9-and 3 is secured to side 21. Back 41 may slope away from the vertical as seen in Fig. 7.

The display device may now be placed on its partial bottom formed by tabs'l, 29, and Z4, and bin front or panel 25 is folded inwardly and downwardly about fold line 11 and bin bottom 27 isfolded upwardly along fold line 26. Support tabs 29 and 31 are folded downwardly along fold lines 23 and 30, respectively, until the display device is in the position shown in Fig. 3.

Carton support members 35 and 38 are folded inwardly along fold lines 34 and 37, respectively, and panel 33 is folded outwardly along fold line 32 until panel 33 rests against bin bottom 27. The hook-shaped projections 36 and 39' or support numbers 35 and 38 are then inserted through slots 47 and 48, respectively, locking the display device in assembled position with panel 25 lying against front and with bin bottom 27 extending angularly downwardly toward front 15 to define a bin between the sides 17 and 21. Support tabs 29 and .31 extend downwardly and engage bottom tabs 24 and 50, respectively, to prevent bin bottom 27 from buckling under the weight of the displayed goods.

A carton, the contents of which are to be displayed, and generally indicated at 49 in Fig. 7, rests upon the edges 40 and 40 of support members 35 and 38 between side portions 18 and 22 and rests against back 41. The lower end 50 of carton 49 is opened to permit the goods to be displayed, generally indicated at 51, to flow from carton 49 into the bin provided in the display device, as described above. As samples of the goods are taken from the bin by prospective purchasers, the bin is filled by goods dispensed by gravity from carton 49.

Suitable advertising indicia may be printed on front 15, upon sides 17 and 21 and upon extension 46 to call attention to the goods being displayed and to the fact that samples of the goods are available.

It will now be apparent that by the present invention a novel display device is provided which in every way satisfies the several objectives described above.

Changes in or modifications to the above described illustrative embodiment of the present invention may now be suggested to those skilled in the art without departing from the present inventive concept. Reference should therefore be had to the appended claims to determine the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a display device, a high rear panel, a low front panel, side panels joining said front and said rear panels and each having its upper edge sloping upwardly from the front panel and then sloping more steeply upward to adjacent the top of the rear panel, tabs foldably connected to the lower edges of said front and side panels forming a partial bottom, a connecting panel foldably secured to the upper edge of said front panel and folded into contact therewith, a bottom panel foldably connected to said connecting panel and extending from adjacent the lower edge of said front panel upwardly to said rear panel, a second connecting panel foldably secured to said bottom panel and folded into contact therewith, a support member foldably secured to each of opposite sides of said second connecting panel and folded at right angles thereto, and a hook-shaped projection on each of said support members passing through and engaging said rear panel, each of said support members having a substantially straight edge substantially normal to said rear panel to support a carton mounted thereon between said side panels and said rear panel.

2. In a display device, a high rear panel, a low front panel, side panels foldably secured to said front panel and secured to said rear panel and each having its upper edge sloping upwardly from said front panel toward said rear panel, a connecting panel foldably secured to the upper edge of said front panel and folded into contact therewith, a bottom panel foldably connected to said connecting panel and extending from adjacent the lower edge of said front panel upwardly to said rear panel, a second connecting panel foldably secured to said bottom panel and folded into contact therewith, a support member foldably secured to each of opposite sides of said second connecting panel and folded at right angles thereto and a hook-shaped projection formed on each of said support members passing through and in locking engagement with said rear panel, each of said support members having a substantially straight edge substantially normal to said rear panel to support a carton mounted thereon between said side panels and said rear panel.

3. In a display device, a high rear panel sloping away from the vertical, a low front panel, side panels foldably secured to said front panel and secured to said rear panel and each having its upper edge sloping upwardly from said front panel toward said rear panel, a connecting panel foldably secured to the upper edge of said front panel and folded into contact therewith, a bottom panel foldably connected to said connecting panel and extending from adjacent the lower edge of said front panel upwardly to said rear panel, a support tab foldably secured to each of opposite edges of said bottom panel and extending downwardly at right angles thereto, a second connecting panel foldably secured to said bottom panel and folded into contact therewith adjacent said rear panel, a support member foldably secured to each of opposite sides of said second connecting panel and folded at right angles thereto, and a hook-shaped projection formed on each of said support members passing through and in locking engagement with said rear panel, each of said support members having a substantially straight edge substantially normal to said rear panel to support a carton mounted thereon between said side panels and said rear panel.

4. In a display device, a high rear panel, a low front panel, side panels secured to said front and rear panels, a connecting panel secured to the upper edge of said front panel and lying in contact therewith, a bottom panel connected to said connecting panel and extending upwardly to said rear panel, a support member secured to and offset inwardly from each of opposite sides of said bottom panel adjacent said rear panel and extending at right angles to said bottom panel, and a hook-shaped projection formed on each of said support members passing through and in locking engagement with said rear panel, each of said support members having a substantially straight edge substantially normal to said rear panel to support a carton mounted thereon between said side panels and said rear panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,380,561 Kaufmann June 7, 1921 1,410,763 Lambert Mar. 28, 1922 1,556,074 Byrne Oct. 6, 1925 2,277,403 Horr Mar. 24, 1942 2,649,348 Calhoun et al. Aug. 18, 1953 

